Mt. St. Helens Adventure

Uh, hello friends I didn't see you there. I am waiting patiently for the presentation by the ranger at Mt. St. Helens.  Looks like I am a little early, that's OK I will sit back and enjoy the view. 

I waited a long time and the ranger didn't come for a talk so I guess I will adventure on my own.  Let's see what I can find. 

The wild flowers are out in full force.  According to the placard near these trees this is all that was left from the eruption in 1980.  The placard states that these trees were 150 feet tall before the eruption.  Not much left except stumps. 

It's a wildflower garden out here.  After the eruption, the park service said that they were going to study the blast zone and see how nature regenerated itself.  First came the elk, they brought seeds, and the birds came afterward with more seeds and 37 years later we have some cool wildflowers.

Of course the entire mountain isn't a wildflower meadow, sigh.  However the landscape is pretty interesting,  Lots of bare areas, a little greenery here and there and lots of open space.  

There are lots of other places to explore at Mt. St. Helens.  This area seems to have lots of flowers and it's in the backcountry. I don't have a permit to travel in the backcountry but I can enjoy it from here.

Now, I heard there is a good ice cream shop down the mountain.  Time to reward myself with a couple of scoops of huckleberry ice cream.